At 1:57 p.m., fire departments from Egg Harbor Township and Northfield responded to the alarm at the English Creek Shopping Center at English Creek Avenue and the Black Horse Pike.

Customers said they could smell smoke and were told to leave the store immediately, abandoning carts filled with groceries.

“I started smelling something burning, something electrical,” said DeeDee Baptiste, of Mays Landing, who was in the checkout line moments before the store was evacuated. “It was scary. We all just had to leave.”

Fire trucks at the rear of the building doused the flames, while Egg Harbor Township police monitored the entrance, turning away people unaware of the situation.

Cardiff Volunteer Fire Company Chief Steven Sear said the blaze was under control about 3:30 p.m., but firefighters remained on the scene until 5 p.m.

“The fire was contained to the roof, and there is water damage to a storage area,” Sear said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, Sear said. The store remained closed Sunday night.